Lecture to examine impact of climate change on indigenous communities

Published: January 28 2014

Category:Announcements, InsideUF, Top Stories

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A philosophy professor from Michigan State University will give a free lecture Jan. 29 at the University of Florida titled, “Bridging Indigenous and Scientific Knowledges: Multicultural Solutions for Climate Change Research.”

His lecture starts at 5:30 p.m. in Smathers Library Room 1A.

Kyle Whyte is a premier scholar in the field of environmental change, particularly relating to the ethics of how such changes affect indigenous and Native American communities. Indigenous peoples living in North America have long been affected by climate change, but these communities face obstacles in discussing solutions with scientists. Whyte’s research investigates how individuals from different backgrounds can come together, build trust, and share knowledge from elders of Indigenous communities and climate scientists.

Whyte has worked with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Science Foundation, Spencer Foundation and the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition. He was a member of the American Philosophical Association’s Committee on Public Philosophy and a 2009 winner of the K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award from the Association of American Colleges and Universities.

This presentation is in the fourth in the series “Civil” Society? On the Future Prospects of Meaningful Dialogue,” which is organized by the UF Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere and seeks to explore how we can improve the climate of political discussion in the U.S.